Paper Crafts Club Mystery Box Set Book 1-3

by Emily Selby

  She had seen something like it before. She moved closer to the window and leant against the window frame. She blinked to clear her eyes and looked again. A tiny forget-me-not flower preserved in a piece of resin.

  She had definitely seen something similar before. Except, the example she'd seen had been more rectangular, and this was a square. It would be perfect on a ring. She flipped the piece of resin. On the other side, two small pieces of metal suggested it might once have been attached to something else. A ring, perhaps? A ring that belonged to a jewellery set. Like the one Katie saw Sofia wearing the other day–a real forget-me-not immortalised in resin.

  But what was it doing in her flat? Who had dropped it?

  She had to talk to Jack. She didn't care if he was working today or not. She picked up her mobile.

  25

  Her hands shook as she scrolled through the list of contacts to find Jack's number.

  'Please answer please answer...' she whispered, listening to the beeps. She disconnected after the seventh signal, not wanting to leave him a voicemail. With a knot tightening in her throat, she stood by the window. She'd try again in a few minutes, but what if he didn't believe her? What if he wanted more evidence than a piece of jewellery and a blurry picture?

  She took the piece of jewellery from her pocket and put it on the kitchen table. She snapped a few photos, chose the best one, and cropped it. Was it enough evidence? Not without a photo of Sofia's earrings... But she didn't have one. She could ask her club friends if they recognised the design, but would anyone remember? Miriam? Dorothy?

  Katie rubbed her nose to stop the moisture gathering behind her eyes. She felt stuck in front of a boulder so big she couldn't see past it. She had to figure out how the pieces fitted together.

  What did she need to prove? A connection between Zac and Sofia? But why? To show that Sofia and Zac were partners in crime? What for? Breaking into Katie's flat and stealing the ring? Okay, so what? Why would someone kill over the ring? It didn't make any sense. She'd never figure it out herself. It had to be team work. She needed help from a professional.

  Katie ran her tongue along her paper dry lips. She looked at the table. This was ridiculous. Jack had to learn to listen to what people were saying and the way they were saying it. She wasn't obliged to give evidence with the scientific quality he wanted. It was his job to check on all the leads, not hers. If he wanted to solve this crime, he had to learn to think the Sunnyvale's way.

  Katie tapped on the photo and forwarded it to Jack's number with a covering note. As soon as the sound of delivered message echoed out in the kitchen, she dialled Jack's number again. She waited out six signals, disconnected and dialled again. She intended to continue doing so until he picked up the phone. She was petrified and confused

  Jack answered the phone halfway through the third cycle.

  'Hi Katie, what's going on?' He sounded a little short of breath.

  'I've sent you a picture. I found it in a gap between the floorboard by my window. The window that had been opened by the burglars,' she rattled off, relieved to hear his voice.

  'I'm not quite following, sorry.'

  'A ring was stolen from my flat at the same time Zac was murdered-'

  'We've never found a connection between the two incidents,' Jack interrupted her.

  Her blood boiled. He was being DI Smarty-Pants again.

  'Oh, for goodness sake, Jack. Will you listen to me for once?' she gasped into the phone. 'I think there is a connection between the ring and both murders. I can't patch it all together yet, but I'm sure the ring is the key.'

  'Okay, okay, I'm listening,' he said defensively. 'Is this the ring you've just sent me the photo of?'

  Katie took a deep breath. This was going to be a difficult conversation, because, she wasn't quite sure of everything.

  'No. It’s a piece of a different ring. I saw someone wearing matching earrings and a necklace. It's the same handmade set. One copy only, I think.'

  'Who was wearing it?'

  'Sofia Parker. She told me the ring was broken and that was why she wasn't wearing it. It must have snapped when she was climbing through my window, I guess.'

  Silence grew on the other end of the phone. With her breath held, Katie waited for Jack to make a comment. Cold sweat ran down her neck. Her cheeks were burning.

  'You found a piece of jewellery in your bedroom. You think it belongs to Sofia. But what makes you think it's all connected with Zac?'

  Katie considered her next step. 'Some people thought Zac might have a secret girlfriend. Could it have been Sofia?'

  That drew another pause from Jack. She could hear his breathing.

  'Katie,' Jack said his voice sounded very calm. 'I think your mind has been a little too active. I know you're stressed. And now, back in your flat, it's all coming to the surface. I don't think what you say carries any weight. There is no evidence of any connection between Sofia and Zac. Sophia has a solid alibi for the night of Zac's murder. We've got a key suspect arrested and are exploring another avenue right now.'

  Katie swallowed. The knot at the back of her throat was growing again.

  'I heard Sophia’s alibi when I was transcribing the interview. She could have bought the rail ticket for show and asked her friend to provide an alibi. Or maybe she could have used a different train after killing Zac. She might have gone to work, pottered around so that her colleagues could see her and then disappear. She's not an honest person. She's capable of walking into places she shouldn't and I'm sure she can lie without batting an eyelid...'

  'Katie,' Jack's voice held a hint of irritation. It sounded as though he was tired of correcting a stubborn child. 'Before you throw accusations at people, you need to support them with evidence. And before you bring it up again, as far as I can remember, you and your president weren't sure the door to the crafts room was locked. Yes, your flat was broken into, fair enough. But maybe this piece of ring was planted there to incriminate Sofia.'

  Katie wobbled. She never thought of this.

  'Why would Sofia break into your apartment?' Jack carried on. The irritation in his voice was a little more pronounced. 'What would she want?'

  'The ring?' Katie said weekly. It didn't even make sense to her.

  'What for? Show me the evidence.'

  Katie took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. She'd have to find more evidence herself.

  'Okay,' she said pushing the air through her tight throat. 'Okay. I'll find the evidence and I'll call you.'

  'Katie, don't do anything stupid,' Jack said, softly. 'Please don't put yourself in danger. The murderer is still out there. This is a police matter. Leave it to us, please.'

  'So why can’t you explore what I'm giving you? Why are you still saying that my evidence is not good enough? You've promised to listen to me! If you don't accept what I’m bringing you, you will never solve this case. Remember what happened with Mrs Dunbar? You could only solve it because I gave you evidence that wasn't good enough. Because you listened and trusted my hunches. You can't be logical all the time. We can't all be logical. People are not like that.'

  'Katie,' Jack cut in, his voice now serious. 'I understand your frustration. I also want this case solved, but I don't want any more deaths. And in particular,' he took a deep breath and clear his throat, 'I don't want anything to happen to you. It may be a personal request, but can you please, please promise me you’ll ring me before you do anything?'

  A personal request? Katie felt a tiny bubble of fuzziness burst somewhere in her stomach, and she chastised herself immediately. There was something more important in this request. There was an opportunity to make a deal. Katie took a deep breath. 'Okay,' she said. 'But only if you promise me something.'

  'Promise you what?'

  'Check Sofia Parker's background. Anything you can think of. Look into her previous employment history, in particular. She's a pharmacist. She could have access to that poison easily.'

  'They would have noticed it missing in
hospital. This is not an everyday stuff. But I will check her professional records. Deal?'

  'One more thing,' Katie said feeling quite giddy. Jack was being unusually generous with her today. Did he care about her more than colleague to colleague? 'Can you ask Sophia if she had any connections with Zac?'

  'I've already asked her, and she denied it. I don't think asking her again in the same circumstances would yield any other answer. Are you happy with this?'

  'Deal. I promise to ring you before I do anything related to this case,' she said. 'What do you suggest I do with this now?'

  'We're both back on Monday morning so you can show me the piece of jewellery and I can bring Sofia for another interview. In the meantime, please stay safe.'

  'I will,' Katie said and disconnected.

  26

  Katie woke up startled, her heart pounding. She dreamt of someone hammering on the head of her bed. A little too close for comfort. She pulled the cover over her shoulders with the intention of going back to sleep, but another round of hammering kept her awake. Someone was knocking on her door.

  She swore under her breath. It was Sunday morning for goodness sake! Only 8:30.

  She jumped out of bed, grabbed her bathrobe and pulled it on while skipping downstairs.

  'Coming, coming!' She grabbed the door handle and then remembered Jack's warning.

  'Who is it?'

  'Sofia! Sorry, Katie. I tried calling you, but your phone is off. I need access to the crafts room, really badly. I have a deadline tomorrow. I absolutely have to finish my project today. Could you please, give me the key? I can't get hold of anybody else.'

  Give her the key?

  'Can you give me a minute? You woke me up,' Katie said, trying to think what to do next. Her muscles tensed, her stomach clamped.

  'How long will you be?' Sofia called out, an edge of urgency in her voice. 'I mean, I'm sorry to have woken you, but this is very important to me.' Sofia sounded almost soft, pleading. She really cared about this project, her life-long dream!

  What was she supposed to do? Give Sofia the key as if she was any other member of their club and pretend she never found that piece of ring on the floor? Believe what she was saying?

  'Hang on, two ticks,' Katie called out and ran back upstairs. She needed a plan and she needed time to come up with it. Getting Sofia away from her flat sounded like a good first step.

  Katie found the key to the crafts room in her handbag and rushed downstairs. She unlocked the door.

  'Here it is.' She pushed the key into Sofia's hand without looking at her. She couldn't stand facing the girl.

  'Thanks!' Sofia sounded happy. 'I'll let you know when I finished. Just turn your phone on.'

  'I will,' Katie said and locked the door behind, checking it twice. A plan started to emerge in her adrenaline-buzzing head. She would go to community centre to collect her craft supplies, just as she had intended, but she would sneak in on Sofia. She might be able to observe something of use to the investigation. Collect more evidence and then shove it in Jack's face! That was a great plan.

  But, hang on! Didn't she promise Jack to keep safe? Okay, nothing stupid, nothing dangerous, of course. And she would let Jack know. Maybe it was something crazy, or maybe not.

  Dressed and caffeinated, with the piece of resin found on the floor in her pocket, Katie jumped into her car. Remembering her promise, she dialled Jack's number, but the call went straight to voice mail. This time, she did leave a message.

  'Call me when you get it,' she said and disconnected. She drove to the community centre.

  She pulled up in front of the entrance to the crafts room. The area was empty and quiet. She could see a group of people across the church square, probably going to the Sunday service. The tower clock chimed nine times.

  Another sleepy Sunday morning in Sunnyvale.

  She walked up the stairs leading to the entrance and looked through the window. Sofia was standing by the workbench at the back of the room, her slender shoulders hunching over the polishing machine. She was wearing a plain white long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her dark locks were tied up. She still looked like a model. A perfect girlfriend for Zac. Katie watched her for a short while, her heart accelerating in her tight chest. She checked her phone again, but there was no message from Jack.

  She wanted to sneak in and check what Sofia was working on. The noise from the polishing machine should drown out her steps. And this should be enough for Katie to just catch a sight of the secret jewel Sofia was working on. And then... her thoughts trailed off. And then she would have to improvise. Maybe she would confront her about the piece of jewellery she'd found in her bedroom?

  But if she was going to do this, she needed a better back-up plan. She rang Jack again and left him another message, this time telling him she was going to have to talk to Sofia about the piece of jewellery at the club.

  And since she didn't want to do anything stupid or dangerous, she also called Chris.

  'I'm sorry to bother you on Sunday morning, Chris,' Katie said quickly as soon as he answered his phone. 'I've tried Jack but he's not answering his phone.'

  'What are you up to, lass?'

  'On the surface, nothing dangerous-just going to pick up my craft box from the club room in the community centre, but someone is already here.' She paused, not sure how to explain herself. 'Jack disagrees with my theory, but she's my prime suspect.'

  'Hang on, I'm not really following. Suspect in what?'

  Katie hesitated. She could be more open with Chris. He should understand. 'In both murders, I think, she-' Katie gasped. Sofia must have caught her sight because her head jerked. She straightened her back and jumped forward like a tigress preparing for an attack. She strode across the room to the door.

  'Oh, sorry, got to go. She's spotted me. Please come quickly!'

  She dropped the call and slipped her phone into her pocket.

  'What are you doing here, Katie? You gave me a fright!' Sofia called out the moment she opened the door.

  Katie jumped back. The fine hairs on the back of her neck rose in unison. Oh, no - the paint-peeling shrill!

  'I-I... just wanted to pick up some craft supplies to work on when my daughter is back. Can I...'

  Sofia threw her an icy dagger kind of a glance.

  'Now? You really need it now?' she said in an equally icy voice.

  Katie's hands turned clammy. She cleared her tight throat.

  'Yes, if you don't mind. I'm here now. I'll sneak in and out, I don't want to disturb you.' Katie moved to the side trying to squeeze past Sofia. But she firmly stood in the doorway.

  'Actually, you already did.' A hint of threat crept into her voice. She raised her arms and spread them as if to block Katie. Katie ducked under Sofia's arm and skipped forward.

  'You-you... Stop!' The anxiety-filled screech drilled into Katie ears. Katie rushed toward the bench.

  'I'm not going to steal anything from you. I've got the right to be here,' Katie babbled. A milky white stone glimmered by the machine.

  'Ah, so this is what you're working on,' Katie called out.

  'Don't touch it,' Sofia hissed and reached out to grab the stone. But it was a fraction of a second too late. Katie closed her fingers on the cold, textured surface.

  Sofia's hand hit Katie's forearm.

  'Give that back.' Her voice rose by an octave and turned into the piercing shrill again. Katie shuddered as a wave of prickly goosebumps covered her skin again. She steadied her breath.

  'No way!' Katie fired back. She grabbed the piece of jewellery and pulled it from the workbench.

  'I said, give it back,' Sofia yelled, her hands now hovering in the air, aiming for Katie's neck.

  'No!'Katie jumped back and with her free hand grabbed the first thing she could feel behind her back. It's not yours.'

  'Give it back to me you...!'Sophia jumped at her. Her fingers grabbing Katie's neck.

  Katie pushed back, shoving the handbag she'd grabbed from the
table into Sofia's stomach. Sofia groaned and doubled over. Her hands slid off Katie's neck. The contents of the handbag spilled on the floor.

  'You-!' Sofia growled pounced at her again, her fingers splayed like claws. Katie skipped to the side. Although her heart was pumping hard, her head was clear.

  'Is this how you killed Zac? Strangled him first?'

  'I didn't kill Zac,' she screamed and jumped. Her fingers tightened around Katie's throat.

  'You killed him,' Katie croaked and grabbed at Sofia's wrists. She pushed her nails into Sofia's flesh. She loosened the grip. Where was Chris? Was he coming? How much time did it take to get here from his place? She had to play for time. Get her to talk. But how?

  'Stole the ring,' Katie wheezed. 'Left some traces.'

  'No, I didn't. Never leave any traces. I'm smart,' Sofia growled. 'My ring. Give it back.' Her fingers tightened on Katie's throat again. The world twirled. Katie wobbled. She wheezed a breath in. With a last surge of will she took a swing. Her arm went over Sofia's arms half circle, and dived between them, cutting the grip.

  Sofia jumped back surprise flooding her face. She tripped and fell on the floor.

  Katie's knees gave way. She leant on the table.

  'Stop! Police! Don't move.' Two voices shouted from the door. In a few fast strides, they arrived - Jack and Chris. Jack knelt by her side while Chris jumped to stop Sofia escaping.

  'Are you okay, Katie? Can you breathe?' Jack asked her, his gaze sweeping her.

  'Yeah, I can breathe now,' she said, surprised to hear her voice sounding so husky. She took a few breaths, surprised by the sudden sensation of lightness in her body. She rolled her shoulders back and realised she was still holding something tightly.

  'Here's the ring,' Katie said and opened her white-knuckled fist. The milky stone shimmered in her hand.

  'Is it the one you found in your bedroom?' Jack asked.

  'No, it's the one she stole from my flat,' Katie said, turning her head to the left, where Chris was dragging Sofia to her feet. 'It used to be a ring. Now, it's just the stone. She must have cut off the band.'